Former NHL star Chris Stewart is reportedly missing

Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) team Slovan Bratislava announced that they had signed former NHL 60+ point scorer Chris Stewart to a one year contract. 

Earlier today Stewart was expected to attend an introductory press conference, but was nowhere to be found. The team was reportedly unable to contact Stewart and, as a result, reported him as a missing person to the authorities.

UPDATE: Stewart has been found and is in good health. Surprisingly though, Stewart has decided to retire from professional hockey due to “serious family problems.” 

Check out this quote from Slovan Bratislava’s website, translated from Slovak:

“According to the current call from his licensed agent for Europe, Chris Stewart decided to suddenly terminate his professional career for serious family problems, and this information has only been announced in the afternoon of our time, so he does not get to Bratislava, Slovan Bratislava responds to the unexpected development of the situation. “

Chris Stewart was due to report on Wednesday morning’s training for Slovan Bratislava. However, the KHL Slovak deputy manager was waiting for the Canadian hockey player and a few hours later he learned that nothing would come of his arrival. The thirty-year-old striker decided to end his career suddenly for family problems.
Chris Stewart was due to report on Wednesday morning’s training for Slovan Bratislava. However, the KHL Slovak deputy manager was waiting for the Canadian hockey player and a few hours later he learned that nothing would come of his arrival. The thirty-year-old striker decided to end his career suddenly for family problems.”

Oh man… that does NOT sound good. Here’s hoping for the best for Stewart and his family.

The 30 year old veteran retires from pro hockey with 160 goals and 321 points in 652 games split between the Colorado Avalanche, St. Louis Blues, Buffalo Sabres, Minnesota Wild, Anaheim Ducks and Calgary Flames. His career high 28 goals and 64 points in 77 games with the Avs back in 2009-10 seemed to indicate that he was on a trajectory to becoming one of the league’s best young goal scorers. Unfortunately, Stewart was never able to come close to those numbers in his career again and, in fact, never hit the 20 goal plateau during a single season over the rest of his 10 year NHL career.